Warren said he believes “the defining issue of our time is economic inequality,” and he said he can turn it around.

The married father of two said he enlisted in the Navy Reserves just after 9/11 and in 2007, was called up for a one-year deployment in Iraq. Warren said he learned two things from his time overseas: A greater appreciation for the men and women who serve multiple deployments and how to work, and live, together, with a diverse group of people who have nothing in common.

It’s a lesson he carried with him as mayor and one he said he would bring to the State House should he be elected.

Since his decision to run, Warren said he’s visited cities and towns around the state and he always asks residents the same question, “wWhat kind of commonwealth do we want to be?”

The idea, he said, is to decide what kind of commonwealth you want to be then budget toward that future. Warren said he knows there are people choosing between paying for prescription medications and putting food on the table and others being crushed by student debt.

“I think we can do better,” he said.

When Warren became mayor, he faced a $40 million deficit no rainy day fund. Since then he has eliminated the structural deficit and built up a reserve account to the tune of nearly $20 million, he said.

“We also cut our carbon footprint in half,” he said adding the city would see further savings true to environmental sustainability and solar work, “and I wasn’t afraid to raise revenues and the same thing needs to be done on the state level.”

Warren said he has two proposals to make life better statewide: pushing forward single payer health care and lifelong free public college.

According to Warren, Baker plans to move 140,000 people off Mass-Health and into the state Health Connector program, which Warren said would make healthcare more expensive for the state’s most vulnerable residents.

“I believe that’s wrong,” he said.

When asked how he would fund his initiatives, Warren didn’t hesitate.

“It’s why I support the Fair Share Amendment,” he said.

Also called “the millionaire tax,” the proposed tax would require individuals with an annual income above $1 million to pay a 4 percent surtax.

The amendment would bring in $2 billion annually.

“It’s not a huge windfall, but it’s significant,” Warren said.

Warren said he’s also aware that while collectively the state has to push back against the health care changes President Donald Trump is trying to push through, he also, as governor, will have to connect with Trump supporters to be truly successful.

“We have got to reach out to those people,” he said. “That’s what I learned on base in Iraq, we can’t afford not to work together … we have got to become one commonwealth.”

Warren said as mayor, it took him four years and 70 town meetings to get people to work together and overrides passed to address some of the cities most daunting needs, but he did it and he believes could make similar strides as governor.

Participants at the event raised questions about the opioid crisis, strengthening local police departments, and addressing affordable housing.

To combat the opioid crisis, Warren said making sure there are enough beds for those that need immediate help and instituting long-term community-based clinical care are imperative, as are ensuring that local police receive deescalation and bias training.

Affordable housing is tied directly to transportation and Warren said again, the Fair Tax amendment could help address both issues.

Along with fielding questions, Warren also took some time to call out Baker’s administration.

He faulted Baker for devaluing solar credits, for supporting an immigration bill that negates the Lunn Decision, which states that local police do not have the authority to detain a person based solely on a request from federal immigration authorities, and for backing Jacob Ventura for state Senate. Ventura supported defunding Planned Parenthood and undoing gay marriage and transgender laws, Warren said.

“These are the choices we have,” Warren said. “We can do something about progressing and moving forward with the right governor.

“I’m very serious about building the biggest grassroots organization,” he continued. “If we can put this in place we’ll win next year.”